In the history of the Ming Dynasty, the Civil Engineering Change, also known as the Civil Fort Rebellion or the Civil Engineering Disaster, refers to a major event that occurred in the fourteenth year of Ming Dynasty orthodoxy (1449). At that time, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen was defeated in the northern expedition to Wara, resulting in the emperor being captured. This accident not only caused the Ming Dynasty to lose 200,000 troops and dozens of civil generals, but also allowed the Wara army to take advantage of the situation to attack the capital of the Ming Dynasty, which put the imperial court in the most dangerous moment. After the Tumubao Incident, through the efforts of Yu Qian, Zhu Qiyu and others, the Ming Dynasty successfully held the capital and repelled the attack of the Wara army.
Gengxu Change: The Ming Dynasty once again faced a threat from the north.
With the death of Zhu Qizhen of Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty successfully restored its national strength and created a situation of Hongzhi Zhongxing under the hard work of monarchs such as Ming Xianzong and Ming Xiaozong. However, by 1550, 100 years after the Tumubao Rebellion, the Ming Dynasty was once again threatened by the northern nomads, this time known as the "Gengxu Rebellion". In this war, Altan Khan, the leader of the Mongol Tumut tribe, launched an offensive against the Ming Dynasty's "tribute city", which caused a series of unrest.
The background of the Gengxu Change.
In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty retreated to the Mongolian Plateau and continued to confront the Ming Dynasty. In order to expand the northern territory, Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Ming Chengzu Zhu Di sent troops to the Northern Expedition many times. However, the leaders of the Tumut tribe of the Mongol local forces, Ji Nang and Alta, became the main opponents of the northern Ming Dynasty. Due to the differences between the two sides on issues such as ** and territory, it led to the outbreak of the Gengxu Change.
The process of the change of Gengxu.
In the twenty-ninth year of Jiajing (1550), Altan Khan launched a war over the issue of "tribute city". The Ming Dynasty refused my request and even beheaded the Mongol envoys, triggering a large-scale war. Altan led an army to invade Datong, and the Ming defenders were defeated one after another, and some Ming ministers such as Qiu Luan caused the other party to retreat by bribing Alta. As the Altan army approached the capital, the Ming Dynasty was in dire straits.
The result of the Gengxu Change.
The Ming Dynasty faced an unprecedented crisis, but at the suggestion of Xu Jie and other ministers, Ming Shizong Zhu Houxi decided to give in to my request and recognize the "Tonggong Mutual Market" agreement. Although the Gengxu Rebellion ended, Ming Shizong was deeply humiliated, so he made a series of adjustments to strengthen the defense of the northern Ming Dynasty. After that, the Ming Dynasty adopted a policy of opening up the market in the conflict with Alta, and finally achieved peaceful coexistence with the northern nomads during the Longqing Peace Conference.
The impact and evaluation of the Gengxu Change.
The Gengxu Revolution made the Ming Dynasty reluctantly agree to "pay tribute to each other", but in fact delayed and repented. It was not until the fifth year of Longqing (1570) that the Ming Dynasty finally implemented the mutual market agreement and resolved the conflict with the northern nomads. However, as the imperial court later repudiated the agreement, Altan Khan continued to attack the Ming border south for the next 20 years. This situation was not resolved until the reign of Emperor Longqing.
Overall, the Gengxu Revolution was a humiliation in the history of the Ming Dynasty, but it also gave birth to an opportunity for the Ming Dynasty to reconcile with the northern nomads. After experiencing humiliation, the Ming Dynasty finally achieved peaceful coexistence with the northern nomads through peace negotiations and other means, laying the foundation for the stability and social tranquility of the Ming Dynasty's frontiers.
The Gengxu Change, as a war in the history of the Ming Dynasty, had a far-reaching impact on this dynasty that had experienced vicissitudes. This incident highlights the fragility of the Ming Dynasty's defense line and the corruption of its ruling system under the double attack of external pressure and internal political corruption. From the Tumubao Revolution to the Gengxu Change, the Ming Dynasty faced the invasion of the northern nomads, and after a hundred years, its political system and national strength were significantly weakened.
After the Tumubao Change, the Ming Dynasty once restored its national strength and realized the prosperity of Hongzhi. However, the Gengxu Revolution once again pushed the imperial court to the brink of crisis. Behind the outbreak of the incident was the failure of the Ming regime's foreign policy and internal corruption. The war waged by Altan Khan, the leader of the Tumut tribe, stemmed from dissatisfaction with the "tribute city" issue, which also exposed the Ming Dynasty's negligence in handling foreign affairs. In the negotiations with the Tumut Ministry, the imperial court did not properly resolve the conflict, but instead provoked the other side with drastic means such as cutting off envoys, making the avoidable conflict out of control.
The course of the Gengxu Revolution shows the obvious deficiencies of the Ming Dynasty in military defense. The armament and command level of the Ming frontier was deficient, making it difficult for the defenders of Datong to effectively oppose the powerful army led by Alta. Even at the level of military generals, there were some surrenderers represented by Qiu Luan, which weakened the will to resist. This kind of performance directly led to the Gengxu Change, and the capital of the Ming Dynasty was almost in a state of passive beating, and it was full of dangers.
During the Gengxu Revolution, the turmoil of the Ming regime also exposed internal political problems. The imperial court failed to effectively safeguard national interests externally, and internally there were arbitrary and authoritarian powers of some powerful ministers such as Yan Song, as well as reckless handling of foreign affairs. Yan Song and other ministers were too accommodating in their handling of the Gengxu Incident, and even allowed the other party to plunder outside the city, which undoubtedly made people question the decision-making of the imperial court. In the face of external troubles, the weakness of ** has made the national situation worse.
However, the Gengxu Revolution also gave birth to the adjustment of the foreign policy of the Ming Dynasty to some extent. Although the Ming Dynasty succumbed to Alta's pressure after the incident, the imperial court then strengthened its defense of the northern border, and finally achieved peace with the northern nomads through peace negotiations and other means. In the process, the Ming Dynasty gradually realized the importance of reconciliation with the northern nomads, which created the conditions for the later Longqing Peace Conference.
Overall, the occurrence of the Gengxu Revolution shows the corruption of the political system and the weakness of military defense in the late Ming Dynasty. However, it was in this crisis that the Ming Dynasty also gradually recognized the urgency of reform, laying the foundation for a series of policy adjustments that followed. The lessons of this history remind future generations that in the face of external threats, we need to respond more firmly and forcefully, and at the same time, we need to deeply reflect on internal problems to ensure the long-term peace and stability of the country.
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